Johnny knows he's dreaming, barely, but that doesn't make it any better. That almost makes it worse. Whether or not anything is out there, something can hurt him. Something very likely will.
"Fuck," he whispers. Ordinarily he prefers dreams that are outside, but not this place, this place is awful. "Fuck, fuck, fuck."
He takes several strides forward, feeling a horrible itch like he's forgotten something, and then a dull ache in his chest which suddenly solidifies into a familiar pang. He catches like he's caught on a string, doubles over, clutching at his chest. He gasps, staring around himself. He remembers this feeling, and as much as it hurts, he's almost glad to feel it. He crawls back, feeling blindly through the leaves and twigs.
"Nova?" he says, a little hopefully. What was her full name? "Novatiana?"
"Johnny?" whispers a tiny voice near his hand. "Johnny!"
"Hey!" He feels the little rabbit nosing toward him, and he scoops her up and hugs her to his chest. "Hey, hey, I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were-"
"I wanted to say something but I was so scared," she babbles, pressing her soft little head up against him. "I couldn't move!"
"Yeah, I know." He gets to his feet, a little unsteady while he holds her. "It's okay. I've got you." He looks around, trying to find any sign of where to go, but every direction feels dangerous. There are no good goddamn options.
"We can't stay here," she urges. He can feel her little heart beating wildly against his, and he strokes her fur as soothingly as he can. "Please, Johnny, we have to go!"
He starts walking, partly just to calm her, but walking doesn't feel any better, it feels like they could heading for danger instead of waiting for it to come to them. He has a feeling nothing is going to feel safe here.
"I don't like this dream," she whispers.
He rubs his finger gently between her ears. "Me neither. But I'm glad I get to see you again."
"Yeah." She twitches and freezes, causing him to stop short. "Did you hear that?" she hisses. "Something's there!"
Johnny presses back, flattening himself against a tree as best he can, as if this will help. Nova shudders in his hands, both of them endeavoring to be as silent as possible. Please, please, don't let it be something awful, not now, when he finally gets to see her again.
good grief I'm so sorry these are all so LONG
"Fuck," he whispers. Ordinarily he prefers dreams that are outside, but not this place, this place is awful. "Fuck, fuck, fuck."
He takes several strides forward, feeling a horrible itch like he's forgotten something, and then a dull ache in his chest which suddenly solidifies into a familiar pang. He catches like he's caught on a string, doubles over, clutching at his chest. He gasps, staring around himself. He remembers this feeling, and as much as it hurts, he's almost glad to feel it. He crawls back, feeling blindly through the leaves and twigs.
"Nova?" he says, a little hopefully. What was her full name? "Novatiana?"
"Johnny?" whispers a tiny voice near his hand. "Johnny!"
"Hey!" He feels the little rabbit nosing toward him, and he scoops her up and hugs her to his chest. "Hey, hey, I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were-"
"I wanted to say something but I was so scared," she babbles, pressing her soft little head up against him. "I couldn't move!"
"Yeah, I know." He gets to his feet, a little unsteady while he holds her. "It's okay. I've got you." He looks around, trying to find any sign of where to go, but every direction feels dangerous. There are no good goddamn options.
"We can't stay here," she urges. He can feel her little heart beating wildly against his, and he strokes her fur as soothingly as he can. "Please, Johnny, we have to go!"
He starts walking, partly just to calm her, but walking doesn't feel any better, it feels like they could heading for danger instead of waiting for it to come to them. He has a feeling nothing is going to feel safe here.
"I don't like this dream," she whispers.
He rubs his finger gently between her ears. "Me neither. But I'm glad I get to see you again."
"Yeah." She twitches and freezes, causing him to stop short. "Did you hear that?" she hisses. "Something's there!"
Johnny presses back, flattening himself against a tree as best he can, as if this will help. Nova shudders in his hands, both of them endeavoring to be as silent as possible. Please, please, don't let it be something awful, not now, when he finally gets to see her again.